Is my block really toast?

[interalian]

Took my '79 crossflow block to a local Calgary AB marina for inspection and got some less than good news from the old timer who runs the place.

Says the center bearing mount is no good due to the prior repair incorrectly seating the center bearing off the pin. This could scuttle my rebuild plans unless I can determine a way around it, or get another opinion. Now, I have a pretty good feel for things like this and looking at the area, it appears the surface hasn't actually lost any material, and the bearing didn't turn in the block. The shiny line is where the groove for the retaining ring goes, and there's no lip or ridge, just a slightly dimpled area mostly around the alignment pin.



At any rate, the guy says he sends blocks to Vancouver BC for machining as there aren't any locally that do the work and/or are good. Does anybody know of a good shop in Western Canada?

 

[emdsapmgr]

Wonder what the condemning factor actually is. Looks like the bearing surface on both sides of the bearing locating pin are shiny. Like the bearing rocked back and forth over the years-making the surface shiny. Guess I'd ask if he did evaluate all the bearings for accuracy from a line-bore standpoint. If it scuffed material off from that area, it's possible the whole bearing circle might be egg-shaped. If so, that could be a problem. Last thing you'd need is a problem with the line bore, supporting the main crank bearings.

 

[fhhuber]

Generally if a machinist says your block is done... believe him.

 

[interalian]

No Title

Not a machinist, the shop owner. I think, without actually measuring, he assumed some material has been removed. Without actually measuring, I'm not really willing to condemn the thing.

I think what happened when the last guy was inside, he misaligned the bearing by half a hole. You can see the overlapping shiny spot around the left side of the alignment pin. The bearing had a matching shiny spot where it had been sitting on the pin, and the bearing shell was fractured at that point. When I took the bearing off, the shell came apart in three pieces and some shards from the extra fracture point. The pin being a tad higher than the casting made the bearing shell slightly out of round and caused chatter marks on the crank.

 

[Faztbullet]

Drill it and jack it out, then scotchbrite the bearing to remove any high spots and get it bored. On reassembly put a small bead of anaerobic sealer on the race(BRP does this on all Ficht/DFI motors) and motor will be actually quieter. This block is not toast...

 

[interalian]

Drill it and jack it out, then scotchbrite the bearing to remove any high spots and get it bored. On reassembly put a small bead of anaerobic sealer on the race(BRP does this on all Ficht/DFI motors) and motor will be actually quieter. This block is not toast...

You know, that's what I'd been thinking. My only hesitation had been whether it would tolerate the temperature. I have a nice bottle of Loctite 609 methacrylate ester anerobic 'Cylindrical Part Bonder' just gathering dust in my tool box.

 

[racerone]

Install a new dowel.---Find a bearing.---Assemble a crankshaft with all main bearings.---Put a thin smear of " mechanics blue " on the center bearing.-----Install into the block and torque.----Take it apart and examine how the blue stuff was transferred.----I said a thin smear of the blue stuff !!

 

[interalian]

Ah, ze old Prussian Blue...

 

[Faztbullet]

Just buff the block where race rides with scotchbrite pad and install thin bead of Loctite 515,,,not Loctite locker.

 

[interalian]

Just buff the block where race rides with scotchbrite pad and install thin bead of Loctite 515,,,not Loctite locker.

Wilco.